


Baiting the Hook

by Cornerofmadness, Evil_Little_Dog



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist
Genre: Canon - Anime, Canon: Fullmetal Alchemist (2003), Community: fmabigbang, Enemies, F/M, Kidnapping, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-08
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 15:08:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/712114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cornerofmadness/pseuds/Cornerofmadness, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evil_Little_Dog/pseuds/Evil_Little_Dog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary:  When Envy and Lust kidnap Winry, it’s up to Ed and Al to rescue her.  <br/>Disclaimer:  This is a derivative work based on the series, <i>Fullmetal Alchemist</i> by Hiromu Arakawa.  No money is made from this fan work.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2012-2013 FMABigBang (LJ Comm). The story is based off of an illustration provided by Copperletters.

More than anything, Winry wished she could see. Maybe not more than anything; she really, really wished that she’d realized the woman who met her at the train station wasn’t Miss Gracia. But she’d been so excited to get the invitation to Elicia’s birthday party – even more so when Miss Gracia said that Ed and Al were in town, and she’d invited them – and planned on a cake for Ed, too. So she’d gotten on the first train out of Risembool, and traveled to Central City, and had climbed off the train and onto the platform, and thought she’d seen Miss Gracia. 

She’d looked like Miss Gracia. Completely. With her pretty green eyes and sweet smile, and the way she’d given Winry a hug that made her feel so good. And she’d led Winry to a taxi cab, and it would be her very first time in riding in one of those, and Winry had been so excited! But the driver didn’t taking them to the house on Mayflower Street, instead, driving them away from the few parts of Central City Winry actually knew. 

Curious, Winry asked, “Where are we going?” 

Miss Gracia had smiled at her. “It’s a surprise,” she said, but her voice sounded different, gravelly, a little strange. She rummaged in her purse, pulling out a handkerchief. It had a funny smell to it, one Winry thought she recognized. Why did she know that smell? She turned to Miss Gracia, only to have the handkerchief slammed over her mouth and nose. Fighting against Miss Gracia’s grip, Winry coughed into the fabric, choking on that stench. “Go to sleep, bait-girl,” she heard Miss Gracia say, but her face shimmered with a peculiar red light, and her eyes were purple now. “Go to sleep until you can be of some use to me.” 

_Ether!_ Winry had realized too late, as the drug dragged her down into darkness. 

Above her, Gracia Hughes’s shape shimmered with a ruby light, her form changing from feminine curves to harsh angles, her short hair lengthening and changing color to emerald. The driver met Envy’s eyes in the mirror, her own lavender irises glinting with malice. “You really believe this girl is enough to get Edward Elric’s attention?” 

Envy smiled, shoving Winry’s body off his shoulder, chuckling when her skull bounced off the window frame. “Oh, he’ll come running when he knows we have her,” he said. 

X X X 

“I don't see why I have to call in like I'm a child,” Ed said into a telephone booth's sticky receiver. It left smudges of something he didn't even want to think about on his gloves. Outside the booth, his brother rattled and Ed swore he could see a glare knitting up the helmet that passed as Al's face.

“Brother,” Al hissed and Ed waved him off. He was dealing with Colonel Shit. There was no need to be nice.

“If I had something to report, I would call and tell you. I don't need kept on a short leash, calling in every day.”

“What if I had information for you?” Mustang's voice sounded tinny on the line and Ed wondered if anyone was listening in. He knew Hughes was always wary of that, or at least planned for it.

“Like you'd know something,” Ed replied. Yes, he knew it was unfair. Mustang did have contacts and had given them a lot of good leads already but it didn't do to have him thinking he was more important than he already did. “So? Do you know anything?”

“Nothing new. Have you made contact with Tanner yet?”

“No, Central's a big place. Do you know how many John or J. Tanners there are in the phone book?” Ed thumped his living hand against the book. He could dent Al's metal head with it, it was so big.

“Sorry, Fullmetal, I didn't have an address for him,” Mustang replied.

“Yeah, well, got anything else for me?”

“No. Try not to break the city, Edward, and report in tomorrow.”

“Right.” Ed slammed the receiver down, rubbing his glove on his black pants. “Dick.”

“Brother,” Al said, exasperated.

“What? He is. He told me not to break the city.”

“You _do_ have a track record for that sort of thing, Brother.”

Ed swung a lazy fist at his brother and Al caught it on his arm without even trying hard. “Brat.”

“I think you're talking about yourself,” Al shot back. “So what next?”

“Guess we keep working our way through the list of Tanners. Someone has to know an alchemist by that name.” Ed stepped back into the phone booth and pulled out the coin he had transmuted around a string. If Mustang had just been willing to do the ground work for him, Ed wouldn't have to spend every last cenz on phone booth calls, so cheating the system didn't feel like cheating. Al didn't agree but since he couldn't really fit inside the phone booth there wasn't much he could do about it. Ed sighed and started making more calls.


	2. Chapter 2

Lust couldn't hold back a giggle. Alchemic power snapped around Envy's bloodied face as it repaired his broken nose. That would teach him – okay, no it wouldn't, not if he hadn't figured it out in all this time – not to underestimate humans. The girl had cocked back her trussed together legs and landed a kick into Envy's unsuspecting face. He should have known tied up didn't mean completely helpless.

“Shut up,” he growled at Lust, his lavender eyes flashing at her. “The bitch broke my nose.”

“I'll do more,” the blonde promised, tugging at her bonds.

Lust had no doubt that the girl would try. Once Rockbell had stopped throwing up from too much ether, the girl had hurled one barbed insult after another at them. Envy was in favor of using more ether but Lust had heard that there was a danger in using too much. They didn't want the girl dead, well at least not yet. No until they used her to lure Fullmetal into their trap. Lust wasn't entirely sure what Envy wanted with Shortmetal. Lust was bored, which was reason enough to help out. This was entertaining. It was worth the effort just to see Envy get kicked in the face.

“What are you?” the Rockbell girl asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about,” Lust replied.

“Where is Mrs. Hughes? Did you hurt her, too?” The girl tried to put up a brave front but Lust could almost taste her fear.

Envy stood to the side this time as he yanked her hair back, looking down into her face. His features morphed smoothly into the Hughes woman's. “She's right here. Or do you like this face better?” Gold eyes glittered out from a face framed by a long, blond braid. The girl's face went pale.

“You're a monster,” she hissed.

“So you say. We say we're perfection,” Lust replied.

“Did you find anything out?” Envy asked, changing the subject.

“I found out our job will be easier. The Elric brothers are already in town.” Lust grinned.

Envy's face practically split in a smile more terrifying than happy. “Perfect. Then we don't need to hang on to her for very much longer.” Envy let go of Winry's hair, shoving her head down. She lifted her chin, glaring at him. “You can scream if you want,” he invited her, waving a hand at the dilapidated warehouse. “No one is going to hear you, but it might tempt me to break your jaw.”

“What do you want with Ed and Al?” the girl asked.

“Nothing you need to worry about. All you are is bait, so lie there like the worm on the hook and it'll go better for you,” Envy replied.

“I’m not going to help you hurt them!” 

“Didn’t you hear me? You’re bait. You being here is what’s going to hurt them.” Envy grinned at the girl’s stricken look. “But if you’re good, maybe you’ll live through it.” 

The girl’s eyes darted around the warehouse, as if searching for a way out. Lust sighed. Bound as she was, she wasn’t going anywhere. But even with that, Envy’s plan had some holes in it. Somehow, Lust didn’t think things would turn out quite the way Envy planned. 

“Now, all we need is some way to let the brothers know you’re our hostage.” 

“Oh, let me.” Lust’s fingers stretched, forming into a pair of scissors. The shears snapped closed next to the girl’s cheek, making her flinch. Smiling, Lust clipped off a hank of her hair, then jerked a piece of jewelry from her ear. The girl squeaked in pain, tears starting in her eyes. Blood trickled down her neck from Lust’s rough treatment. Turning back to Envy, Lust showed her the hair and the earring. “I think they’ll recognize this, and then Fullmetal will do whatever we want him to.” 

Envy smiled broadly. “I’ll take the bait to Fullmetal.” 

“Of course you will,” Lust purred. “Just don’t do anything to him. We’ll save that for later.” 

X X X 

The outdoor café smelled amazing, making Ed’s mouth water. He stared at the menu and the little pictures of the food offered, trying to make a decision. Yeah, sure, he hadn’t found the Tanner guy yet, but Mustang had to understand he needed to eat, right? If he fainted from hunger, he wouldn’t be good for anything, especially finding some John Tanner. 

“Brother,” Al said, his tinny voice getting Ed’s attention. 

“Huh?” He didn’t look up from the menu. 

“The waiter’s here,” Al said. 

“Oh! I want a mutton and cheese sandwich, and a side of rice, please. And an orange soda.” Ed gazed hopefully up at the man with the thin moustache, dressed in a blue and white uniform with a hat with a narrow brim perched on his head. 

“I am not a waiter,” he said stiffly. “I am a messenger.” He passed over a manila envelope. “For the Fullmetal Alchemist.” 

“You’re not the waiter?” Ed asked, disappointed. His stomach growled in protest. 

“I am a messenger,” the man repeated. He cleared his throat, holding out his hand. 

Ed stared at him blankly. 

“Brother, give him a tip!” 

“Oh.” He flushed. “Yeah.” He fished out some coins, passing them to the messenger. The man touched the brim of his tiny hat and spun on his heel, walking away. 

“Who’d send you a message, Brother?” Al asked. 

“Dunno.” Ed scowled at the envelope for a second, then realized the waiter was coming to the table. His expression brightened. “I’m ready to order!” He repeated the order he’d tried to give to the messenger, and, after the waiter left, picked up the envelope. “Huh.” 

“What is it?” 

Ed shook the envelope, hearing something rattling around inside it. The weight wasn’t balanced; it shifted based on how he held the envelope. “It’s not paper,” he said, and pried the flap up with his automail finger, tearing it open. “Huh?” Upending the envelope, he watched as strands of pale hair spilled out onto the table, something bouncing in the hair and landing on the ground. 

Al leaned over the table, poking at the hair with his forefinger. “Brother,” he said, sounding worried. 

Leaning over, Ed spotted a flash of something, grabbing it and holding it up in front of his face. “Damn it.” 

“Brother, is that,” Al’s voice trailed off. 

Ed gritted his teeth. “Yeah. Winry’s earring. And her hair.” Slamming his fist on the table, he made the cutlery bounce. “Damn it! What’s she even doing here in Central?” No, that wasn’t what was important – that was who had her, and why. 

“We should tell Colonel Mustang!” Al said, tapping his fingers together. 

“No way are we telling Colonel Shit. This is our problem, not his.” And if Winry ever found out he’d killed her parents, well, Ed didn’t even really want to think about it. Bad enough he had to know it. “The question is, who has her, and how the hell are we supposed to find her now?” 

X X X

“Don't you think you were confusing with that message?” Envy kicked back on some ratty couch they had found in an alley and brought into the ware house. Lust sat stiff-backed on a wooden chair that had already been in the place. “It's not like you told them where to find us or what we wanted.”

“The problem with you, Envy, is that you don't understand subtly,” she replied, dragging her fingers through her hair.

He morphed into her form and bobbled his huge, ersatz boobs. “And you do? You wear it all right out in the open.”

“Oh, but I do. There's nothing subtle on the surface of lust, true, but underneath, there are a thousand of manipulations to get exactly what you want. Right now, all the brothers know is someone has their friend. They won't know who or why. All they know is she's in danger and their panic levels rise.”

Going back to his own form, Envy nodded. “Imagination can be scarier than reality.” He glanced over to where he had left the Rockbell girl, this time gagged. He had finally gotten tired of hearing her scream and insult him. “Of course, it only counts if we're right about what this girl means to them. I'm trusting you on that.” As much as Envy didn't like to admit it, Lust was better with emotions than he was. He understood the negatives ones perfectly but love escaped him. 

“I think it's a safe bet,” Lust replied. “Could they be a problem for us?”

“They're human,” Envy smiled at the remembrance of kicking the hell out of the Fullmetal brat in lab five. “But I only need Fullmetal.”

“Then I'll be sure to keep his brother occupied.” Lust scowled. “Too bad it wasn't the other way around, Envy. I'm built for keeping teenaged boys busy, not empty suits of armor.”

He snorted. “Guess you'll just have to improvise.”


	3. Chapter 3

Ed wanted to scream, to run through the city, do anything than sit here in the hotel room with Al. Winry was out there somewhere, someone’s hostage. Who knew what the hell they were doing to her. He slammed his fist onto the arm of the couch. “Damn it!”

“That’s not helping, Brother,” Al chided, but Ed could hear the plate mail rattling, proof Al was just as worried as he was. 

“Why would anyone take Winry?” Ed growled. His feet hit the floor hard enough to make it ‘boom’. He didn’t even care that there could be someone in the room below theirs. 

“Maybe someone’s trying to make a point?” 

“Someone who?”

Having no answer, Al spread his hands. “We’ll find her, Brother.” 

“Of course we will.” Ed hoped his voice wasn’t shaking like Al’s armor. 

X X X

The floor of the warehouse had been made of rough concrete, and Winry rubbed her wrists back and forth against it, hoping she’d be able to fray the ropes enough to get free. Her skin burned from the friction, but better that than those monsters hurting Ed and Al. Even if that green-haired – man – said it was an abandoned warehouse, Winry thought she’d be able to find someone pretty quickly if she could just get free. And even if she couldn’t find someone, it’d throw a monkey wrench into the plans these two had for the brothers. 

The woman seemed to be smarter than the man, though Winry didn’t doubt they both were clever. The man had managed to somehow look like Miss Gracia, close enough to trick her. She’d seen his face and body just change. How could that even happen? How had the woman made her fingers elongate and sharpen, enough to cut through her hair? Winry shivered at the memory of those fingers brushing her cheek. They’d felt cold, like bone; like ice, and the ‘snick!’ of them through her hair sent shudders through her body. 

All the more reason to get out of here, she reminded herself. She couldn’t trust them to just let her go, no matter what they might tell her now. Winry tried look like she was dejected, beaten down. That she’d given up. It was hard, though. Those two kept peering at her, like she was some sort of exhibit at a freak show. Winry wanted to scream at them but the gag kept that from happening. More than that, though, she wanted to get free, and keep the brothers safe from whoever these two were. Chewing on the gag, she kept rubbing the ropes over the floor, twisting her wrists to put tension on the bonds in her attempt to break free. It felt like something gave in the ropes. Winry bit harder on the cloth in her mouth, ducking her head to hide the glee flaring through her body. This time, she wasn’t going to be the weak point, or need a rescue, like she had at the hands of Barry the Chopper. This time, she was going to break free, and she’d keep Ed and Al safe. 

“Hey!” The green-haired man snarled at her. “What are you doing over there?” 

Winry flinched, raising her head. Still, she couldn’t help the anger that flashed in her eyes. 

The man started toward her, his nearly-bare feet noiseless on the floor. “Kitten wants to play, hm?” He squatted in front of her, his elbows on his knees, wrists crossed and hands dangling. “I don’t get it. Why you?” He poked at her cheek and Winry jerked back at the sting. 

“Stop playing with her, Envy,” the woman said in her languid voice. 

“But I want to know what makes her special,” he said, without looking back over his shoulder at the woman. He studied Winry, taking hold of the loose strand of her hair that framed her face, letting it slide through his fingers. 

Her mouth worked the gag, and if she could have, she would’ve spit at him again. Instead, she lunged forward, using her own skull as a battering ram. It hurt, damn it, more than she expected; her forehead bouncing off of the man’s. It flung him back onto his butt. He squalled like a wet cat, leaping up and grabbing hold of her hair, hauling her up off the floor. Winry kicked her feet, but didn’t get anywhere close to striking him. Her hair felt like it was going to yank off her skull. “You little bitch,” the man railed, shaking her again. 

Tears sprang in her eyes at the pain but Winry tried to kick him again. He threw her down, and Winry landed sideways, feeling something pop in her arm, agony sweeping through it like an electric shock. Part of her wondered if that was how Ed felt when she reattached his automail before the pain overwhelmed her, forcing the tears to roll down her cheek, over the bridge of her nose and dropping to the floor. She could almost see a pattern in the drops. 

“Look at this, Lust!” The man grabbed her arms, pulling Winry up again. Black dots danced in front of her eyes and she moaned at the pain. “She’s trying to escape!” 

“Enough, Envy. Just tie her back up on the chair. If you hurt her too badly, you won’t get Fullmetal to do what you want,” Lust replied. “Speaking of which, shouldn’t you send the next messenger so they can find this place?”

He scowled at her. “Yeah. You better go do your part, Lust.”

She nodded. “I’d behave if I were you, girlie. I’d hate to think what Envy might get up to when I’m not around.”

Winry hurt too much to answer. If she couldn’t think of some way out of this soon, they all might die. Her arm might be broken. She hoped that wouldn’t stop her.

X X X

Al could barely slow down to keep pace with Ed, his body jangling like an oil barrel going over a cliff. It wasn’t Ed’s fault. Al’s metal legs were just that much larger and he was every bit as frightened for Winry. It had only gotten worse when some street urchin had found them – apparently several had been scouring the city for them – and told them where to go and who wanted them.

What Envy wanted, Al didn’t know, but it was all he needed to know at the same time. The homunculus wouldn’t care if it killed Winry, but they had to think she was still alive. Envy would be smart enough to know that they’d agree to nothing if she were dead. That didn’t mean she wasn’t hurt.

Next to him, Ed was blowing like Mr. Thompson’s horse the time it got spooked and ran through town. The warehouses were in sight now and Al put out his hand. Ed nearly stumbled into it then swatted it away. 

“Al…” he rasped.

“Catch your breath. You’re not going to be any use to Winry, Brother, if you can’t fight because your muscles are cramping!”

Ed glared but didn’t argue. 

Al wanted to discuss a plan of action but knew his brother wasn’t much on long term planning. It was one of the reasons he could always beat him sparring. “I think we should split up, cover more ground.”

Ed shook his head.

If Al could scowl, he would now. It was not the time for his brother to be overprotective of him. A noise caught his attention. Al turned and thought he saw someone, female, not that that ruled out Envy, really. “You keep on that way, Brother. I’ll follow her.”

Gritting his teeth, Ed clenched his hands into fists. He looked back toward the warehouse the kid had told them to go to, then at the shadow where the woman had disappeared. Finally, he said, “Be careful, Al.”

“You, too,” Al said, heading around the building. Whether or not this was Envy, Al knew she had to be here for a reason. She would know where Winry was and he planned on making her tell him, no matter what it took.

X X X

Ed gulped down a deep breath of air as Al left him. His heart thundered in his chest and sweat rolled off his forehead, making his bangs stick to his skin. Winry would be okay, he reminded himself. She couldn’t be dead, because Envy – Ed swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry – Envy would want him to _see_ whatever it was he had planned to do to her. “Damn it,” he growled, hands trembling, and started walking purposefully toward the old warehouse. 

It looked like it hadn’t been used in years; some of the windows were broken out, and the sign above the bay door hung at an angle. Ed could smell rust in the air, knowing that somewhere, machinery had been left behind to ruin and decay. Winry had to hate it, he thought, knowing what that particular smell meant. He pushed the thought out of his head, knowing he needed to concentrate on Envy and whatever that green-haired freak wanted. And, more importantly, getting Winry to safety. 

X X X

From the grimace on her face, Envy knew he’d hurt the girl. She wasn’t scared though, not nearly as frightened as he’d like. Her arm hung at an odd angle, and a bruise was forming on her forehead. But her eyes met his unflinchingly and he could read the hatred in them. 

Envy prowled closer to her, grabbing a handful of hair and jerking it. She grunted, tears sparkling in her lashes. Twisting the strands tighter around his hand, Envy said, “I know how much you hate me. Don’t worry, I hate you even more.” 

The gag kept him from understanding whatever it was she tried to say, but her fury and pain spread over her face. “Soon, your friends will be here. And they’ll do whatever I tell them to do, to make sure you walk out of this alive.” He fished a knife out of his waist band, flicking it at her eye, the point stopping a hair’s breadth from her iris. Her lashes caressed the end of the blade when she blinked. She shuddered, almost hard enough to escape his hand. “You’d like to walk out of this alive, wouldn’t you?” The knife moved away from her eye, tracing down her cheek, leaving a thin, red line behind. Not bloodied, yet, but just the tiniest bit of pressure would cut through her skin. Envy considered it, wondering how her blood might taste, whether it would be sweetened by the tears she fought to keep from shedding. “Then be a good girl,” Envy purred in her ear. 

He dropped the knife in her lap, reaching for another rag out to wrap over her eyes. “Stop fighting,” Envy growled when she jerked back. It didn’t do her any good. He covered her big eyes, tying the rag tightly around the back of her head. Envy stepped back to study her. “There,” he said, “now, you’re ready for the Fullmetal pipsqueak.” Pulling her out of the chair, he slung her over his shoulder. “Hold on tight. We’re going to see an alchemist.” 

X X X

Winry swallowed hard, once; twice. Her arm kept jogging against the green-haired man’s skull, the agony of it making her nauseous. His bony shoulder dug into her midriff and Winry could swear he was bouncing her deliberately. If she threw up, Winry knew she could suffocate on her own vomit since the gag would keep her from expelling it. When the man tossed her to the ground, it was almost a relief, even though she landed on her hip, gravel digging into her thigh. He didn’t leave her there, though, hauling her to her knees. Winry chewed the gag, wishing she could scream out her pain. 

“Hello, Fullmetal,” the green-haired man said gaily. Something cold and sharp pressed itself against Winry’s cheek, her skin giving slightly under the point of the knife. 

Suddenly, Winry was glad she couldn’t see anything.

X X X

 _Winry._ Ed froze at the sight of her, on her knees, Envy standing next to her. He smiled, a knife appearing between his fingers before he pressed the point to Winry’s cheek. A drop of blood formed, slowly trickling down her skin. Ed found his voice, yelling, “Leave her alone, Envy! I’m the one you want.” 

“You’re right, pipsqueak, she’s just the bait. And you sure came running, didn’t you?” Envy pulled the knife, twirling the blade between his fingers. 

Gritting his teeth, Ed tried to figure out how to get Winry out of there and to safety. Something was wrong with her arm, and he could see a big bruise on the side of her face. Something inside him twisted painfully at the sight. “Damn it, Envy!” 

Envy grabbed a handful of Winry’s hair, tugging it hard enough to make her back arch painfully. “Ah, ah, Fullmetal, be careful what you say.” He leaned close to Winry, showing sharp teeth. “She doesn’t deserve to hear such language, does she?” Winry tried to pull away from him, but his grip on her hair kept her from moving. Her grimace of pain, even masked by the blindfold and gag, made Ed’s skin flush and his fists clench. 

He clapped his hands together, touching his automail arm. The familiar, bell-like tone and the flash of light preceded the transmutation. The arm grill stretched into a sharp, thick, punching blade. Lunging forward, he shouted, “Gah! Leave her alone, Envy!” 

X X X

The warehouses felt like ghosts, staring at him with eyes made of broken windows. Al didn’t creep; armor didn’t allow for that with the metal plates rattling against each other. He tried to make as little noise as possible, but knew that if Envy was waiting, he’d be discovered long before he saw the homunculus. “Why’d you have to take Winry?” he wondered to himself, already knowing the answer – somehow, Envy’d figured out what she meant to Brother and him. He didn’t want to think about how that had happened; the idea of someone in the military betraying them made him wish he had a stomach so he could throw up. Then again, Envy might’ve slipped in, posing as anyone, and checked Brother’s military files. 

Al hated how run-down everything was. There were too many places to hide, and spy on him, with the broken-out windows and doors sagging on their hinges. He peered around corners, not even sure what he was looking for. Envy could be anything, anyone. He could appear even as Winry, but he could never _be_ Winry. Al was sure he’d recognize a dupe. Winry was _Winry_ , after all; and unless Envy spent a lot of time around her, he’d never know how to portray her well. 

Someone was watching, Al knew it. He couldn’t see anyone, even swiveling his helmet around, but Envy had to be there. Somewhere. 

Something clattered, a sliding sound, then a stone, maybe, hit a tin awning and bounced off. Al whirled toward it, seeing a silhouette, far curvier than Envy’s favorite form. If he could’ve, he would’ve swallowed. “Who are you?”

Her voice purred across the distance to him. “The armored Elric. I was hoping you’d find me.” 

“I need to know where Winry is!”

She folded her arms. “Safe, for the moment. If your brother cooperates, maybe she’ll walk out of this alive.” 

Al clenched his gauntlets into fists. “What if we win?”

She threw her head back. The sound of her laugh reminded Al of glass breaking. It wasn’t much of a chance, but he took it, dropping to the ground and drawing the transmutation circle he needed. His speed was inhuman – he wasn’t, after all, not really – and Al planted his gauntlets on the circle, sending a surge of alchemic power through the cracked concrete and earth, sweeping toward the woman as she laughed. 

The bell-tone of the transmutation’s activation alerted her, and she leaped sideways, but now Al was ready. The circle was what he needed, and he touched it again, feinting the transmuted earth toward the woman, but her sideways dodge was what he was waiting for. The stone hand reached up from behind, grasping her torso tightly, pinning her arms down to her side. She screamed, enraged, kicking her feet, but Al knew, even a homunculus would have a hard time getting free from that transmutation.

“You just wait right there,” he said, “someone will be back to let you free soon.” With a quick wave, he set off to try to find either Winry or his brother, before anything else happened.


	4. Chapter 4

Envy _waited_ for Ed’s charge, smirk firmly in place, the knife still pointed at Winry. As Ed reached striking range, his arm coming back for a punch, Envy darted to the side. Expecting this, Ed leaped after him, left hand hitting the ground first, flinging his legs up over his body. He cartwheeled after Envy, growling as he struck at the homunculus. 

Leaping back, Envy taunted, “Too slow, pipsqueak!” 

Ed showed his teeth in a dark grin. Moving Envy away from Winry was his goal, and Envy cooperated by leaping around. “You hurt my friend, you bastard!” Ed screamed, chasing after the homunculus. 

Envy leaped up to the low roof of one warehouse, still higher than Ed could reach without transmuting a way up there. The homunculus squatted like a malevolent toad, smiling down at Ed. “I’ll hurt her still, if you don’t do what I want.” 

Winry was a good half-a-block away, but Ed didn’t betray himself by looking back at her. “You already have,” he growled. “Why did you take her, Envy? Why’d you want me here so bad?” 

“Don’t you know, pipsqueak?” Somehow, Envy’s smile widened. “Hurting her hurts you. It’s like a bonus.” He leaped from the roof, landing almost ten meters away on the cracked asphalt, bare feet not even bruised. Halfway between Ed and Winry. “I could hurt her now, before you even got close enough to stop me.” A red light crackled along his arm, shaping it into a blade – a mockery of Ed’s transmutation to his automail arm. 

“Leave her the fuck alone, Envy!” Running after him wasn’t going to accomplish anything, Ed knew, but he could still do something. He clapped his hands together, slamming one down on the ground. The transmutation rumbled through the ground, catching the building closest to Envy, sending the exterior wall cracking down. Envy leaped sideways in response, and that’s when Ed lunged forward, gritting his teeth. His feint wouldn’t keep Envy off-guard long. 

Racing up over the top of the broken wall, Ed flung himself over the top of it, letting loose a howl of rage as he plummeted down on top of Envy. The homunculus gaped at him for a split second, then raised that knife blade arm. Ed kicked on the way down, automail foot striking Envy’s blade. It rang out weirdly, Envy gasping as Ed landed on top of him. 

They went down in a heap, Ed on top, one foot planted on Envy’s transmuted arm, the opposite knee planted on Envy’s chest. Ed held his own blade against Envy’s throat, pressing in to make blood trickle down the homunculous’s pale skin. Envy bared his teeth, grabbing for Ed’s arm with his free hand. Ed pushed the point deeper. “Stop struggling,” he panted. 

“Gonna kill me?” Envy asked, his face relaxing into a dark, wicked smile. “Think you can do it, pip?” 

“Stop calling me that!” Ed snapped. The blood oozed faster out of the wound. 

Envy’s smile went wilder, wider. “You are a pip. Just a little dot on the face of this world. Don’t even know what’s going on – a leashed dog, dragged along behind its master.” He laughed, ignoring the blade digging into his throat. “When I whistle, you come, just like that!”

“I’m not your dog!” Ed fairly vibrated, rage making his body tremble. “And Winry’s not some piece of bait!”

“Ho, ho, that’s all that little bitch is! A pretty piece of bait!” Envy’s eyes widened, and suddenly, the red lightning flashed all over his body, transforming stiff, brackish hair to strands of pale blond, the sharp, angular face softening, the body shifting and swelling, and Ed nearly recoiled at the sight of Winry’s throat beneath his blade, blood rolling down the side of her ivory skin. 

“You don’t fool me, Envy,” Ed hissed through his teeth. 

“Ed, it hurts!” Envy said, mimicking Winry’s voice. She shivered, her lips trembling, her eyes so wide, and tears starting to form in them. 

“You’re. Not. Winry,” Ed whispered, but he couldn’t make _her_ bleed, no matter what he _knew_ was the truth. 

“Ed, please,” she whimpered. 

“Gnng!” Ed closed his eyes against the pain in Envy’s false face, just for a second, just to remind himself that Winry waited for him to finish this, and help her. _This isn’t Winry!_

“Brother!” 

Al’s voice made Ed’s eyes snap open – too late. 

Envy slapped at the back of Ed’s locked elbow. The automail shifted, the blade slicing deeper into Envy’s pale throat, blood spurting out, making Ed jerk back to avoid it. A flash of red lightning followed the open wound, knitting it back together almost as fast as the blade cut. “Stupid pipsqueak!” Envy’s leg twisted up, the hook of his ankle catching Ed in the throat, flinging him back onto the asphalt with a crash. He twisted his body, grinning at Ed. “You’re still too slow,” he taunted.

The pressure against his windpipe made Ed choke. He pinched the tendon behind Envy’s heel, squeezing hard as he could to try to force Envy to move. Pain had to work, he knew, but the flash of red lightning against his hand made him think that pain worked differently in the homunculus than it did in humans. Black spots danced in front of his eyes as his body labored to breathe.

“Brother!” Al’s voice seemed to come from far away. “I’ve got Winry!” 

“Wha’d…want…her…” Ed managed to gasp. 

Envy leaned even more weight on his leg, making Ed gag. “To make you dance to my tune, pip.” 

“No,” Ed got out. His grip on Envy’s ankle loosened as blackness started to swarm up from the corners of his eyes. 

Smiling, Envy curled over Ed, hands on either side of his head. “You are the most stubborn brat,” he said. “You’d risk that girl to get what you want, wouldn’t you?”

No, Ed wanted to shout, but all that came out was a croak. 

“And I know it,” Envy gloated, his nose almost touching Ed’s. “You’d cast her off, and think you were doing it to keep her safe.” He laughed, heated breath blasting on Ed’s face. “You’d do it to everyone, thinking you could do this all alone.” His body shifted on Ed’s chest and the dark came up and covered Ed’s eyes. 

Envy grabbed the hair on either side of Ed’s face, giving him a hard shake. His lip curled as he realized Ed was unconscious, and he dropped him back to the ground with a sneer. “That’s what makes you weak, pipsqueak.” 

X X X

Al untied the blindfold and the gag. “Easy, Winry! It’s okay, it’s me.” He wished he could smile at her reassuringly. Tear tracks cut through the dirt on her cheeks and the side of her face was discolored with a bruise. “It’s gonna be okay.”

“Where’s Ed?” she asked, breathlessly, as the gag fell away, then, “Ow!” 

“He’s…” Al didn’t know. “He’ll be okay.” He hoped he wasn’t lying. Brother could be an idiot, and reckless, and Winry – from the expression on her face – knew that. 

“I heard him, talking with that…” Winry shuddered, and let out a cry when Al finished untying her arms. “Oh, ow, ow,” she whispered, and Al could see that her arm hung crookedly. 

“Your arm,” he said, horrified. 

“It’ll heal,” Winry mumbled, though she cradled her broken arm in her other one, holding it against her middle. 

“Do you think you can stand?” Al asked, worried. “I can carry you if you can’t!” His plates rattled with anxiety. 

“I…I’m okay.” Winry managed to push herself up, leaning against his shoulder to help keep her balance. “Just need something to keep this arm stable!” 

The fake smile she plastered on made Al want to hug her, or beat up Envy, he wasn’t sure which. He settled for nodding, making his horsehair plume bounce. “C’mon, let’s get you someplace safe.” Ed could take care of himself, Al thought. Hoped. 

“No.” Glaring at him, Winry bumped into his chestplate with her elbow, making it ring. “We’re finding Ed. We’re leaving this place together.” Her wince at the realization she’d slammed her good elbow into unforgiving metal didn’t take away from her determination. “I heard fighting that way.” Winry suited words with motion, starting past Al. 

“W-wait, Winry!” Al danced in front of her. “At least let me lead the way.” 

“You don’t even know where we’re going!” Winry argued, tilting her head back to glare at him, not spotting the rubble on the ground ahead until it was too late. 

Al caught her, making her cry out at his grip on her broken arm. “See?” he said, as she caught her breath. “It’s dangerous for you to be doing this, Winry!” 

“I’m not going to just let you guys go into this alone! They took me for a reason!” Winry practically yelled at him. “To get to you!”

“Ugh.” Ed’s voice broke into their argument. He looked bedraggled, and dried blood splattered on his face and neck. 

“Brother!” Al shouted as Winry breathed out, “Ed.” 

“I’m okay,” he waved his hand, limping over to them, his eyes widening as he took in Winry’s state. Emotions spooled across his face, too fast for Al to read, finally stopping on disappointment. “Winry,” he mumbled. 

“I’ll heal,” she said, giving him a crooked smile, “But you’re bleeding!” 

“Not my blood.” Ed waved her off, giving her a long look. He took off his coat, dropping it to the ground, and clapped his hands together. Touching the coat, he transmuted it into a sling, more cumbersome than it probably needed to be, considering how much cloth he used. “Here, Winry.” He helped her slide her arm in place, the skin around his eyes tightening when she swallowed a gasp of pain. “We need to get you to a hospital to get this set.” Giving her a long look, Ed asked, “Can you walk?” He didn’t wait for an answer, squatting down. “Get on my back!”

Winry gaped at Ed, and then up at Al, then sighed, giving up. She climbed onto Ed’s back. He hooked his hands under her knees, and grunted, standing up. He took a step sideways to get his balance with Winry’s weight, then started walked. Al stared at his brother, shocked for a few seconds, then jogged after him to catch up. 

“You’re going to the hospital, and then you’re going back home to the old hag and Risembool,” Ed was saying. 

Winry rolled her eyes at Ed, but didn’t argue with him, just leaned her head against his shoulder.

X X X 

In the waiting room, Ed sat in a chair, slumped over, his fingers loosely woven together. Alphonse sat next to him, gauntleted hands resting on his knees. The faint, constant rattle of metal plates let Ed know how worried Al was. He wished he could say something to settle him down, but he didn’t have any words. 

Why pick on Winry? Why bring her to Central? It was a production, Ed knew; more than that, it was a warning. Winry hadn’t seen what the homunculi could do before; now she knew something about it. She’d told them about how Gracia had called her for Elicia’s birthday party, and picked her up at the train station, then changed into Envy. And a tall woman – had to be Lust – had helped him. They’d called Winry their bait. 

Ed didn’t want to know how they’d figured out about Winry. She’d traveled with Al and him for a while. Somehow, the homunculi had to have been watching them, and decided to use Winry and show him just how helpless he could be. 

_I can’t put her into danger,_ Ed thought, his hands clenching into fists. “I can’t.” 

“Brother.” 

He glanced up at Al. “I don’t want her to get hurt any more, Al!” Winry’d lost so much already. 

“I know, Brother.” Al lowered his head, the metal squealing softly at the movement. The red in the eye slots dimmed. “Winry didn’t deserve this.” 

“No.” 

A doctor came down the hall, and Ed sat up, seeing the man focused on Al and him. He got to his feet as the doctor paused. “You’re the Elrics, right? You brought in Miss Rockbell?” 

“Yeah,” Ed said, shoving his hands deep into his pockets to hide the way they were shaking.

Al stood up, too. “That’s us, sir.”

“In lieu of actual family, Miss Rockbell asked me to let you know her status.” His eyes canted sideways and his mouth tightened – proof he didn’t like it, but would put Winry’s request first. Ed was glad he didn’t have to beat it out of the guy. “Her arm is fractured. There are bruises consistent with someone physically abusing her.” He looked Ed over. 

“She’s my friend,” Ed said stiffly. 

“Brother wouldn’t hurt Winry!” Al said, reaching out toward the doctor. His glance stopped the movement and Al’s hands fell back to his side with a creak. “We rescued her,” he added softly. 

“That’s what she said.” The doctor didn’t look like he believed them, though. 

“Can we see her?” Ed asked, deciding maybe he didn’t want to know any more about what the doctor thought. 

The doctor gave them another long look. “I had to give her pain medication to set that arm. She’s not going to be very coherent.” 

“That’s all right, sir,” Al said. “We just want to make sure…” his voice trailed off. 

“She’s okay,” Ed finished sharply. 

His suspicion didn’t fade, but he let them go into Winry’s room. Ed swallowed hard at the smell of disinfectants when he entered, and at the sight of Winry, wrapped in bandages and blankets on a hospital bed. Something inside him wanted to weep. He forced it down, stopping at the end of the bed. 

Al went around to the side of it. Softly, he called, “Winry?” 

Her eyes fluttered open and she smiled. “Al?” Her head turned until she spotted him. “Ed.” 

“Hey,” he said, making himself smile for her. “Sorry…sorry you got involved in this.” 

“It’ll be okay,” Winry murmured. “I’ll heal, an’.” Her voice trailed off, her eyelids drifting down. 

“Yeah,” Ed mumbled. 

“You know, Winry, Ed hasn’t had anything to eat for a while,” Al said, leaning back from the bed. “I’m going to go find him something to eat. I’ll be back soon,” he added for Ed as he walked past him, and Ed could swear he saw a mischievous light in what passed for his brother’s eyes before he disappeared out the swinging door. 

“Uh.” Ed glared after his brother for a few seconds, but that wasn’t going to do any good. He swung back around to Winry. “Um.” 

“I don’t blame you,” Winry said. He jerked his eyes up to her face, but she wasn’t looking at him. She had her hands on the fingers that peeped out from the cast. “It’s not your fault, so don’t blame yourself.” 

“It is,” Ed insisted, coming around to the side of the bed. “If you weren’t our friend - ”

“If I wasn’t your friend, it would’ve been someone else, Ed! And, yeah, I wish.” She clenched her good fist. “I wish a lot of things, but I can’t change any of that, either.” Voice trembling, she still wouldn’t look at him. “Not what happened to Mom and Dad,” Ed’s gut twisted as he thought of what he knew about Mustang, and her parents’ deaths, “not what happened to you and Al!” Finally, Winry lifted her head, and her blue eyes gleamed, not with tears, but determination. “We’re a team, right? We’ll get through this together. You, Al and me.” 

It was Ed’s turn to look away, though he touched Winry’s shoulder, giving it a quick squeeze. “Yeah,” he said, knowing there was no way he’d risk her. Not to get his body back, not to get Al’s body back. “Yeah, we’ll do this together,” he said, knowing he lied.


	5. Chapter 5

Wind blew through the platform at the train station, yanking at Winry’s long hair. She couldn’t help but smile, though, at the sight in front of her – Al and Elicia Hughes, with Miss Gracia. The real Miss Gracia, not the pretend one. When she found out Winry was at the hospital, she insisted Winry come and stay at her house until she was ready to leave Central. The first few days had been strange – Winry half-expected Miss Gracia’s form to change to that of the strange man known as ‘Envy’, and hurt her again, but, when it didn’t happen, she’d learned to relax around her friend again 

Still, going home seemed like the best idea, where she could finish healing up. Granny and Den were waiting for her, after all, and, while she appreciated the time Ed and Al had spent on her – and with her – every day, since they’d rescued her – she knew they had to get back to their search. 

Tucking her jacket a little closer around herself, Winry glanced around, finally spying Ed, returning with her train ticket. She excused herself to go meet him. “I wanted to say thanks,” not expecting Ed to turn his head away from her, scowling. “What?”

“Nothing,” Ed grumbled. He handed her the ticket. “Look…it’s probably best you don’t come back to Central.” 

“What?”

“Winry, it’s dangerous here. This is the second time you’ve been kidnapped, coming here!” Ed dug his hands into his pants pockets, his lower lip sticking out. “And this time, you got hurt.” 

“You’re not the boss of me, Ed!” Winry snapped back, wishing she had a wrench. “Everything turned out okay, both times!” She wouldn’t say anything about the nightmares she’d had, and how this kidnapping brought them up all over again. 

“But it could’ve been worse!” Ed glared at her then. “A lot worse, and you know it, even if you don’t know those - ” he hesitated, “people! They’re bad, Winry. They could’ve really hurt you if they wanted and.” He stopped, his larynx bobbing before his face took on a steely cast. “You shouldn’t be friends with me.” 

Winry wanted to slap him. “Ed, don’t be an idiot! You think this is bad? What about Carrie, from the next town over? Somebody attacked her. They found her body at the riverbank. And Tommy…do you remember Tommy?” She didn’t wait for his acknowledgment. “Tommy was taking his steers to market and someone robbed him, stole his cattle, and beat him. It was three days – three – before anyone found him.” She’d unconsciously moved closer to Ed. “Bad things happen everywhere, Ed. Tomorrow, there could be a train crash,” he winced, and Winry plowed on, “and that wouldn’t be your fault. The river could rise, and flood Risembool. Some crazy idiot could decide he doesn’t like the looks of our house and burn it down. It wouldn’t be your fault.” 

Ed hissed, “But this was! Because you know me. Because they thought you were my friend.” 

“So what, you’re going to stop being friends with me?” Winry almost reeled at the idea. “Edward Elric, so help me.” She grabbed the front of his jacket, hauling him even closer, ready to shout at him. 

And realized she couldn’t say anything, because Ed was glaring at her, and she could see how worried he was, and how upset, and how hard he was trying to keep her from knowing any of it, especially – Winry started when Ed pushed her back, not hard, but enough to make her stagger. She thought she saw pain flash over his face, but when she looked again, he was just angry, and cold, and closing away from her like shutters on a house before a storm. “I’m sorry, Winry,” he said. “I’m sorry you got hurt. But it’s time for you to go home and…” 

“And what?” She would not cry. She wouldn’t, not now. 

“And,” Ed dropped his head, his bangs hiding his eyes. “Have a good trip.” He walked away, heading back to Al, leaving her standing there alone. 

The final few minutes before her train left past all too quickly – Elicia made Winry promise to come back for a real ‘birfday party!’ and Miss Gracia agreed. Ed scowled but said nothing in regard to that, his jaw flexed and his face turned away. Al told her to have a safe trip, and said they’d been in touch, soon. Somehow, Winry doubted it, and told him so, making Miss Gracia laugh in exasperation. 

And then the call came for her to board the train. Winry didn’t want to get lost in the shuffle of so many people, so she waited for the crowds at the steps to clear out before she began walking. The others followed her along the platform, Elicia chattering away, Al’s armor creaking, Miss Gracia gently correcting her daughter, and Ed…Ed didn’t say anything. 

Winry climbed the steps into the passenger car, hesitating before going inside it. She looked down at Ed, and, as if he could feel her gaze, he raised his head. “Don’t wreck my automail, Ed!” 

Finally, his expression softened. “Gear head!”

“Alchemy freak!” 

“Get on the train before it starts moving,” Ed told her. “I’m not paying for another hospital bill for you.” 

Winry grinned. “Yes, you would!” she said, and ducked into the passenger car so the porter could pull up the steps. She found a seat with a window and waved out at it her friends. Al, Elicia and Miss Gracia waved back, Elicia perched in Miss Gracia’s arm. Ed stood with his hands in his pockets, watching as the locomotive lurched forward, starting the cars off with a jerk. 

Ed watched the passenger car as Winry passed by them, still waving. He whispered, “Yeah, I would.”


End file.
